08-27-2014
• popsci.com
Between revelations of NSA spying and a sense that marketers and hackers are picking our digital pockets, we're all getting a little edgy about cellular security. Hence the rapid growth of the cryptophone industry. Most of the handsets run on "hardened" versions of Android that make privacy the default for app permissions and network connections. Wary users can also employ tools to convert voice or text messages into spy-proof gibberish. FreedomPop ($189) uses a virtual private network, while the Silent Circle tool runs on two products released in June: the Blackphone ($629) and the Vertu Signature Touch ($10,800, with a silent alarm if you're kidnapped for ransom). The $3,500 GSMK CryptoPhone's firewall even blocks snoops that can impersonate cell towers.